The Beginning
by DauntlessErudite29
Summary: Newt is the very first Greenbean to find himself in the Glade after the big group of Gladers was sent at the very beginning. With his new title as the first Greenbean and his memories taken away, he has to fight for his life in an unfamiliar, terrifying place, and finds friends and even love as he gets used to his new home. Alby/Newt SLASH. Warnings and everything inside
1. Chapter 1

**Title: The Beginning**

**Summary: Newt is the very first Greenbean to find himself in the Glade after the big group of Gladers was sent at the very beginning. With his new title as the first Greenbean and his memories taken away, he has to fight for his life in an unfamiliar, terrifying place, and finds friends and even love as he gets used to his new home. **

**Rated: T **

**Pairing(s): Newt/Alby, Clint/Jeff **

**Warning(s): Violence, eventually kissing, gruesome deaths**

* * *

He woke up in a dark, dank lift that moved up and creaked when it moved, like it was going to fall over. _My name is Newt_, he realized. He knew only that about himself. Nothing else. He was in darkness and the lift seemed to be going up forever. In a moment of panic, he yelled, "Help me! Somebody get me out of this bloody thing!" and he heard the thick British accent.

For a half hour, the lift moved up in eternal darkness - for all he knew, at least - and he had no idea where he was going, or what he would find when the lift got to where it wanted to go. Newt imagined himself flying up like this forever, in complete darkness, and almost panicked again.

He knew nothing about himself. He didn't even know what he looked like. Only his name - Newt - and that he was British. The fact that one of the only things he knew about himself was that he was British struck him as funny and a laugh escaped his lips. Newt had no memories, no personal memories, but he knew how the world worked.

Finally, after what seemed like hours but was probably much less, Newt saw a light above him and there was sweet, sweet relief. There was a crowd of boys waiting for him, faces looking down at him, some pointing excitedly and talking, some glaring. Newt noticed they were all teenaged boys and wondered why there weren't any girls. Or a single adult. Maybe there were, they just weren't there right now, they were off doing something else -

The lift stopped and jolted so that Newt fell down on his butt. A rope was lowered down to him, and he grabbed it and was lifted up onto the grass. Well, they tried lifting him up onto the grass, but a boy's hand slipped on the rope and the ground rushed up towards him. A hot flash of pain went through his left arm, and Newt knew right away he'd damaged something.

"Thanks a lot," he called up to the dark-skinned boy who'd dropped the rope.

"Sorry," the boy called down, and his deep voice rolled over Newt's skin like velvet, making him shiver. Suddenly, he wasn't so ticked anymore, even though the boy had just broken his arm.

"Alby, get down there and help him up," a boy standing beside Alby said. He must have been their leader. Maybe Alby was his second in command? Newt didn't know and he didn't care - all he cared about was the pain in his left arm. And the fact that he couldn't remember a bloody thing about his life - who he was and where he came from - but his broken arm had distracted him from that up until now.

The dark boy - Alby - lowered himself down into the lift while the other boy who'd spoken before - the boy who was probably their leader - held the rope for him. "I'm so sorry," Alby apologized again, sounding really sincere as he lifted Newt in his arms, one arm tucked under Newt's knees and another supporting his back. He easily lifted Newt up onto the grass, and a shocking pain was sent up his left arm. Tears filled his eyes as Alby sprawled out onto the grass beside him. "Let me take you to the Med-jacks."

"The what now?"

Alby grinned. "The Med-jacks are the closest think we have to doctors," he elaborated. He picked Newt up again, which hurt, and carried him to the hospital wing.

* * *

"Nice job, Alby," a Med-jack named Clint said as he examined Newt's arm. "Definitely broken." He raised an eyebrow at Alby. "Our very first Greenbean after we get to this shucking place, and you break his arm? I don't think you're gonna live that down anytime soon, is he, babe?" Clint wrapped an arm around the boy standing beside him, another Med-jack. Newt burned with curiosity. What was a Greenbean?

"Nope," the boy answered, but they seemed to be teasing.

"Shut it, Clint," Alby warned, "or I might just break something of yours."

Clint didn't seemed threatened, but his boyfriend joked, "I'll protect you," and wrapped his arms around Clint's waist.

"Shut up, Jeff," Clint responded, all but throwing the boy off him, and Jeff shoved him back playfully, both of them laughing.

Newt didn't exactly think of this as a laughing matter. "My arm is broken."

"Sorry," Clint apologized. He put Newt's arm in a sling and said, "That'll take a while to heal."

Newt rolled his eyes. "I thought it'd bloody happen overnight," he said sarcastically.

Alby snickered. "Now that your arm is taken care of, Nick told me to give you the Tour," he informed Newt.

"Nick?"

"Our leader," Alby explained.

"The Tour?"

Alby looked annoyed. "I really hope none of the other Greenies are going to ask so many questions," he muttered.

"I heard that," Newt announced.

* * *

After a quick meal, Alby and Newt stood outside a really old, worn out shack. "This is the Homestead," Alby explained to him. "It's our house. It's where we live, sleep, hang out sometimes. Not that there's much to do."

Newt followed him inside the Homestead. "Why are we here?" he asked. "Did we - did we do something wrong?" His voice broke and his eyes filled with tears. "Are we prisoners?"

Alby's usually none too cheerful expression softened. "Hey," Alby said softly, squeezing Newt's shoulder. "I don't know why we're here. All the other Gladers and I know exactly as much as you do about why we're here, and we've lived here for a month, and you just hours. The people who put us in this shucking awful place have told us nothing. If I could have told you what the shuck we're doing here, I would have already."

"Shuck?" Newt asked.

He could tell Alby was suppressing a groan. "Nick banned curse words, so I came up with some of my own," he said. "Kind of as a code, which he's probably cracked already. He's kind of a jerk."

Newt believed him, not that he knew Nick well enough. Or Alby, for that matter. But he believed him nonetheless. It took him up until then to realize that he trusted Alby.

He followed Alby around the Homestead as he showed Newt the hallway of bedrooms, the creaky stairs, the small living room, and the small bathroom. They went outside then and Alby went on to explain the work and how Newt would work with every job leader - Keeper - for a day, to see what job he was best at.

Newt followed Alby over to a fence where there were different kinds of farm animals - pigs, cows, sheep. "We milk the cows ourselves, slaughter the pigs ourselves," Alby said. "And over here" - he led Newt to another field behind a fence, where there were crops of some kind growing. Newt didn't know what they were. "We grow our vegetables ourselves." Alby turned around and Newt followed his gaze to the huge walls surrounding the place they called the Glade. "The Maze is out there - yes, it is literally a maze, a huge maze, impossible to solve." Newt would only know later how literal that last bit was. "We've tried everything, looked for an exit, anything you can imagine. 'Course, we've only been here for exactly a month - we've been keeping track of the days - and we gotta eat, sleep, drink, work, survive. Thrive, even, as best you can in here."

Newt bursted with curiosity about the Maze. "The Number One Rule," Alby told him sternly, getting right in Newt's face, "is never going in the Maze, unless you're a Runner. Which you aren't."

Something about that ticked Newt off and he glared at Alby. "Get out of my face. You can bloody talk to me without invading my personal shucking space." It wasn't until he said Alby's curse word that he realized he'd said it - naturally, already.

Alby did what he said and grinned. "You'll fit right into this place, Newt," he said, and Newt grinned back.


	2. Chapter 2

Newt wasn't proud of his first night in the Glade.

Although things had been going well that day, when night fell he felt more alone and terrified than ever, and he sat down under a tree and cried his eyes out. Alby had told Newt very little about the Maze, but that he would tell him more tomorrow when he showed Newt the window.

The window. That sounded more menacing than it should have.

A laugh escaped Newt's lips. He was hysterical, probably. Well, who wouldn't be in this situation?

"Hey, you okay?" a voice said. Newt looked up to see an Asian boy with toned skin standing close to him. "You're the Greenbean, right?"

Newt nodded and the boy sat down next to him. "Who the bloody shuck are you?"

The boy grinned. "I'm Minho," he said, holding his hand out to Newt. Newt smiled slightly and shook Minho's hand.

"Newt," Newt introduced himself. A rush of curiosity filled him as he looked up at the huge walls looming over them, and he asked, "Do you have any idea what those walls are about?"

Minho burst out laughing. "Oh, yeah," he said. "I have a shuck idea, all right. I'm the Keeper of the Runners. The Runners go out into the Maze every day, to try and solve it. Obviously we haven't found a solution yet or you wouldn't have found your butt here."

"Why do the Doors close every night?" Newt asked him, glad that finally someone was giving him answers.

"The Grievers," Minho answered. "They're like...like slugs with spikes in them. They're really dangerous. We've had several people killed because of-" Newt had passed out from pure fright before Minho could even finish his sentence.

* * *

Newt woke up to the sound of voices talking quietly. "Minho," Nick's voice groaned, "why would you think it is okay to tell our Greenbean here, who's been here for less than a _day_, about deadly slug killers?" He heard Alby laugh and the sound lifted Newt's heart. "Alby, stop laughing," Nick ordered. He _did_ sound like a jerk. Newt had to admit, the term "deadly slug killers" was pretty funny, even though it had frightened him so much he fainted.

He opened his eyes and the three boys turned to look at him. "You're up," Nick said. "Good. I apologize for this - what should I call you?" Nick looked over at Minho, who stifled a laugh. "This moron, here." Alby smirked and clapped Minho on the shoulder. Minho then turned around and shoved Alby playfully. "Enough, boys!" Nick yelled, and the two stopped. "Alby, get Newt a roommate to sleep with."

"He can sleep with me," Alby said, and then immediately flushed scarlet. "I didn't mean - I mean, I just meant-"

Newt felt himself blushing too, especially when he realized he wouldn't mind it too much if Alby _had_ meant it. The guy _was_ pretty hot. "It's all right," he told Alby, whose cheeks flamed.

"Follow me and I'll get you a sleeping bag," Alby said.

"We're going to have a Gathering tomorrow," Nick called on their way out the door. "Oh, and Newt, you will need to come, too."

* * *

Newt lay awake beside Alby for a long time, listening to his new friend's quiet breathing. He wasn't crying anymore, but he was traumatized at what Minho told him, and he was afraid that he would have nightmares. He fell asleep and didn't have any nightmares, but he woke up the next morning and the first thought in his head was that somehow he felt that his pillow didn't feel right. That was when he realized - he had been using Alby's chest as a pillow for God knows how long.

"Oh my God!" Newt scrambled away from Alby, who woke up faster than you can say "Shuck". "I'm so sorry, I - I didn't mean-"

Alby was blushing, but he just laughed it off. "Come on," he said. "I have something to show you before breakfast."

Newt followed Alby over to a window - the window Alby must have been talking about yesterday, Newt realized. The light was still dim, since it was early morning, both inside and outside the walls. Newt squinted to see and he saw a slug-like creature crawling through the Maze. Newt gasped, his eyes widening, and he hid himself from the window so the thing - the Griever, he remembered Minho had called them - wouldn't see him. It was horrible. Ugly. And even with the walls separating them, he was feet away from the bloody thing.

Newt wanted to run away. His mind searched frantically for a place to run, to hide from the horrible thing out there. He found it harder to breathe and he gasped for air. "What the...bloody hell.._.was that_?" he demanded.

"I think our friend Minho answered that for you last night," Alby said with a roll of his eyes. "But anyway - I'll remind you again. It was a Griever."

"Yeah, he told me." Newt glared and he sank to the ground, trying to catch his breath. Tears streamed down his face and he felt himself beginning to panic. "I didn't do anything! I just want to get out of here! I want-"

"Hey, hey, hey," Alby said quickly, sitting down beside him and putting an arm around his shoulders. "It'll be okay. I won't...I won't let you get hurt. You have to trust me."

Newt smiled at his friend. "I already do," he said.

* * *

The next day, Newt worked in the Blood House with Winston. The Blood House was a creepy old barn with animals and a dog. Winston had a pig ready for him and he instructed Newt how to hold the axe and swing it so he could properly kill the pig.

Newt felt it big time when the axe hit the pig - it squealed and he stared at it with tears in his eyes, and screamed when he saw the blood and guts spilling out of the pig. He dropped the axe and ran out of the Blood House, going in the corner to where the Slammer was. He huddled in a corner and started crying again when he thought, _I'll never be able to find a bloody job. _

After a while, Newt felt someone sit down next to him. "Hey, it's okay," a soft, velvety voice said.

Newt jumped and lifted his head out of his lap, and scrambled away from Alby. "No! No! Get away from me," he sobbed, curling into a ball in the corner of the Glade. He was embarrassed but he could not stop crying.

"Hey, talk to me," Alby said, putting a hand on Newt's back. His touch sent shivers of pleasure down Newt's spine. "What happened?"

Newt explained through hiccuping sobs. "I w-won't find a j-job here!" he wept. "I don't belong here."

"No, you don't," Alby agreed. "None of us belong here. But we all do our best to survive, and I think you will, too, once you get used to this place."

Newt nodded and sniffled, looking into Alby's gorgeous chocolate eyes. "I killed a pig today."

"We all had to kill a pig," Alby said. "Most of us get over that eventually, if it makes you feel any better. But we all had to do that to find out what jobs we were best at."

"I bloody know I'm not good at that one."

Alby laughed then and Newt's heart lifted. He made it a goal to make Alby laugh more, because he didn't seem to do it enough. "I like you, Newt," he said.

Newt blushed and then smiled. "I like you too, Alby," he said, but didn't let on just how much he liked him already.

* * *

They all huddled around a huge campfire that night. When Newt got there, Alby waved him over and Newt sat on the upturned log next to his. "Do you guys have a campfire every night?" Newt asked.

"Once or twice a week," Alby informed him, winking at him. Newt blushed and looked away just as Minho sat down on his other side.

"Hey, Newt," Minho said, grinning. "Alby, don't flirt with the Greenie. Give him a day or two to settle into his new home before you flirt. Them's the rules."

Now it was Alby's turn to blush. "Hypocrite," Alby shot back, but Newt could tell he was trying not to laugh.

"I'm the hypocrite? Nick came up with those rules because you flirted with me our first day here."

"I did not!"

"Boys," Newt laughed, feeling like he finally belonged here. "Shut up."

"This isn't over," Minho threatened.

"Yes, it is," Newt informed him as Nick got up in front of the campfire. The fire behind him made him seem like a black silhouette, and it was hard to see his features.

"Everyone shut up," Nick said. "It's time for ghost stories."

Newt gulped. "Ghost stories?"

Beside him, Minho laughed. "You're gonna love this, Greenie," he told him.

"Oh, great, I'm sure I will," Newt said sarcastically, and Alby grinned.

"Who remembers what happened with that kid Brandon?" Nick asked, and some hands went up. "For those of you who don't, whenever someone breaks the rules badly enough here, or a crime happens, we call it the Banishing. We send the kid out into the Maze. They're banned from the Glade and they can't ever come back. So, one night a lot like this one, we had to Banish a kid named Brandon."

"You said that already," Newt called out, and Alby laughed.

Nick glared at Newt. "Anyway," he continued, "the Banishing never happened, because when Alby and I went to get the shucking guy out of the Slammer, he wasn't there!"

Everyone gasped, and a shiver of fear crept up Newt's spine. "The door was open and the lock was broken," Nick continued, "and Brandon was gone. We don't know where he went to this day. Some say they've seen him wandering around in the woods, but no one has seen him. Up...until...now!" Someone grabbed Newt's shoulders from behind him and he screamed bloody murder before throwing himself into Alby's arms.

Everyone laughed and Newt flushed scarlet before sitting on his own log. "Sorry," he apologized.

"Oh, Alby thinks it's _completely fine_," Minho joked, waggling his eyebrows at Alby, who promptly threw a stick at his friend. "He likes it when guys throw themselves at him. Get it?" Minho laughed at his joke.

"Yeah, you're so hilarious." Newt rolled his eyes at his friend. "Because I was totally throwing myself at Alby."

"Physically, you-" Minho started.

"Shut up," Newt and Alby said in unison.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank you guys for all the faves, follows, and reviews! I'm so glad you all like my fanfic and I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. I will try to update more often :) Hope you guys enjoy the new chapter! **

* * *

Newt shot straight up off the ground, gasping and covered in sweat. He had dreamed about the boy that Nick talked about, Brandon. He stifled a sob and covered his mouth. "Newt?" Alby mumbled from beside him, and Newt looked down at his friend to see the older boy's dark eyes open, staring worriedly up at him.

Guilt filled him that he had woken his friend up, and he tried to force himself to calm down. "I'm sorry I woke you," he murmured. "It won't happen again."

But Alby just sat up and put a strong, comforting arm around Newt. "It's okay," Alby said. "Talk to me."

"I dreamed about the boy who got Banished," Newt sobbed. "Brandon."

Alby's expression hardened, and Newt flinched. "I'm gonna kill Nick. I knew he shouldn't have told that story, not when you were around. Knew it would scare you."

Newt was touched and annoyed at the same time. Touched that Alby cared that much about him, but annoyed that Alby thought he was too weak to handle the Glade and the Maze. Of course he was, but he didn't want Alby knowing that. He also still felt guilty about waking Alby up. "I'm sorry," he said again.

"Don't be," Alby said gently, and Newt smiled, feeling better. He felt safe when he was close to the older boy. He met his friend's dark gaze and they stared at each other for a moment in silence. "Get some sleep. I'll be right here."

Newt lay back down and felt Alby's hand on his waist, pulling him close. He chuckled. "Still don't want to sleep with me, huh?" he joked.

"Slim it, Newt," Alby laughed, and Newt fell asleep shortly after.

* * *

Alby was gone when Newt woke up the next morning. He yawned and remembered Alby's body pressed against his the previous night. He blushed as he got up and headed towards the showers.

Minho met him there and laughed when he saw the blush on Newt's face. "What's with the blush, Newt?" Minho teased. "Something to do with our second-in-command?"

His comment didn't bother Newt. He smirked and said, "Oh, yeah. We were going at it big time. As a matter of fact, I'm pregnant, Minho. You can be the bloody godfather of our baby if you want." Needless to say, he didn't get another word from the Keeper of the Runners before going into the bathroom. Newt undressed and wrapped a towel around his waist, then pulled back the shower curtain and gasped. Alby was standing there, drying off with a towel with a second towel wrapped around his waist. And damn, the guy was _hot_.

"Oh my God!" Newt backed up and almost slipped on the wet tile. "I had no idea anyone was in here!"

Alby blushed furiously, but he said. "It's all right, Newt," and hurried out of the bathroom. Newt heard Minho's laughter from outside and knew that the word would spread through the Glade in no time that Newt had seen their second-in-command almost naked.

"Alby-" Newt started, but the door closed behind him. He sighed and stepped into the shower. He knew he owed his friend an apology, which would be hard considering all he wanted to do now was avoid Alby.

When he got out of the shower, he wrapped his towel around his waist and dressed, then went outside. "Hey, Newt," Zart called when he passed the Gardens. "Newt and Alby, sitting in a tree. K - I - S - S-"

Newt rolled his eyes and hurried away, trying to fight the blush coming on his face. He passed Alby and averted his eyes, but at the last second he turned. "Alby, hey, I just wanted to apologize for...well..." He felt his face heating up.

Alby turned and walked backwards. "It's okay, Newt," he said, then turned around and kept walking.

"Newt," Gally's taunting voice called from behind him.

"Don't even bloody start, you slinthead," Newt snapped before storming away.

"Dare you to kiss him!" Gally shouted after him, laughing, and of course starting singing the same song Zart had.

* * *

Of course Newt had to be right. The word spread across the Glade like wildfire, and the other Gladers weren't exactly making the awkwardness between Newt and Alby better. At dinner, they kept teasing the two about it and Newt tried to hide his blush. He couldn't even look at Alby. He should have seen it coming when Alby pulled him aside after dinner. "Isn't it bothering you what people are saying about us?" Newt asked. "I'm so embarrassed."

"You just saw me in a towel, Newt," Alby said. "It's no big deal. It's not the first time in history's someone's been seen in a towel."

"That's not what everyone else seems to think," Newt protested. "It's like they think we just got married or something." Then Newt heard Minho's voice from inside the kitchens joking that Alby pulled him away to go on their honeymoon, and he heard laughter moments later. "Oh, you have _got_ to be shucking me," Newt said.

Alby burst out laughing. "Think ya jinxed it, shuck-face," he said.

A thought popped into Newt's head that made him blush. "Have...have you ever kissed anyone?" Newt asked.

"Honestly? No," Alby answered. "Gladers pair up in here all the time, but I've just never found anyone."

"Oh." Newt shifted; this whole conversation was awkward. "Well...okay," he said.

Alby nodded, and opened the door to the kitchens. "Shall we?" He motioned for Newt to go in.

Newt forced himself to smile at his friend, and nodded before walking in, Alby close behind him. "Hey, there's the newlyweds!" Minho joked. "And how was your-"

Minho earned a plate of beans in the face, courtesy of a certain very annoyed blond boy, before he could finish his sentence.

* * *

**AN: Hope you liked it! Review please? :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Sorry it took me so l****ong to update! I just got back in school and I have been extremely busy, but I will try to update at least once a week. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

* * *

Newt had been in the Glade for two and a half months when Minho chose him to be a Runner. He'd settled on a job in the Gardens, and he and Alby had grown closer. Newt and Minho had also become close. However, Newt thought Alby liked Nick and he went to Minho for advice one day.

"What do you think I can do about it?" Minho said, his arms folded. "Convince Alby not to like Nick?"

The blond rolled his eyes. "Yes, Minho," he said, his voice dripping sarcasm. "That's _exactly_ what I want you to do. Bloody hell!" Minho could be an idiot slinthead sometimes. Newt punched him playfully on the arm, and Minho shoved him just as playfully, but gently. Halfway across the Glade from them, Alby was helping the Builders, his shirt off revealing his muscles. "It's like he's bloody torturing me on purpose," Newt complained as they watched Nick sneak up behind Alby and wrap a necklace around his neck. What the bloody hell? Alby turned and smiled as Nick said something to him.

Minho watched him and laughed. "Man, you have it bad," he commented. "You're so shucking jealous."

"I am not!" lied Newt. "What's Nick giving Alby? A necklace? Friends, indeed." Newt snorted.

"Who told you they were just friends?" Minho asked.

"Alby," Newt informed him.

"Uh-huh. And here we have the problem." Minho grinned.

The blond stared. "What?"

"He's in denial," the Keeper of the Runners told him. "Can't you see? The same way you're in denial about your undying love for him, Alby's in denial about his undying love for our leader."

Tears filled Newt's eyes at the thought and he stalked away without another word.

* * *

Newt didn't talk to Minho for the rest of the day, or the morning of the following day. He watched Minho leave with his Runners, sighing and looking down at his plate.

That day's work was hard. Newt harvested plants and by the end of the day, he was all hot and sweaty. Nick, of course, flirted with Alby as usual. When he saw Nick wrap his arms around Alby's waist, he looked away, a lump in his throat. He knew Alby didn't like him.

As the sun set, the Runners returned one by one, or sometimes in small groups. Seven of the Runners returned and their Keeper had yet to return. Newt felt a pang of worry but ignored it, knowing Minho was fine. But then a half an hour passed and Newt began to truly worry. He knew he had to talk to Nick about it, but since he didn't like Nick, he went to talk to their second in command.

Unfortunately for Newt, Alby was talking and laughing with Nick, as usual. "Hey, Alby?" Newt said from behind him.

Alby turned and Newt was startled when the dark boy's face completely lit up. "Hey! What's up?" Alby asked him.

"What's up is that I'm worried about Minho," Newt told him.

Alby narrowed his eyes in confusion. "He's not back yet?" Nick asked him.

"No," Newt said, giving him a look that he hoped said, _Alby's _mine_, shank, so back the bloody hell off. _

Nick seemed to get the message and he glared right back. Alby looked back and forth between them, seeming to sense the tension. "I'm sure he's fine," Alby tried.

Right on cue, all three of them heard the familiar rumbling sound that signaled the Doors were about to close. Newt's heart leapt into his throat and tears filled his eyes. "Minho!"

Just then, a groaning sound came from the East Door. Newt gasped and darted towards it, faster than he knew he could run. He stopped at the closing door and willed Minho to run, though it looked like he had damaged his left leg. Minho made it just in time and Newt tackled him in a hug, almost knocking over the Keeper of the Runners. He completely missed the burning jealousy in Alby's eyes as he and Nick approached them, and the knowing smile that Minho gave their second in command.

"Minho?" Nick said. "What happened?"

"I broke my ankle, you shuck-face," Minho gasped out. "What does it look like? And, Newt, you can let go of me whenever you like." Everyone laughed. Newt was still clinging to Minho, unable to believe that he was okay. Well, as okay as he was with a broken ankle.

"Med-jacks!" Nick called.

Clint and Jeff came over. "What's going on?" Jeff asked.

"I shucking tripped over a rock and twisted my ankle," Minho gasped out. Newt could see the obvious pain in his eyes and tears filled Newt's eyes. The night before, Newt had just stalked away from his friend. What if Minho hadn't been so lucky today and hadn't made it back in time before the Doors closed? Newt couldn't stand the thought.

Minho looked over at the blond, worried. "Newt, you okay?" he asked.

Newt nodded, trying to keep his emotions hidden. "I'm all right," he answered.

The Keeper of the Runners squeezed his shoulder. "I'm fine, too," he said. "Don't worry about me."

But Newt did. He followed the group into the Homestead and sat beside Minho, taking his hand as the Med-jacks examined his leg. "Good news, Minho: you didn't break it," Jeff said, and Minho sighed in relief. "Bad news: you _did_ sprain it, though, and sprains normally hurt worse." Minho winced.

Newt stroked Minho's fingers reassuringly. He didn't notice Alby looking down at their joined hands, his dark eyes full of jealousy. "At least you're alive," the blond said.

Minho nodded and hugged Newt. "All right guys...I think we need to give them some privacy." This from Alby, surprisingly, though he sounded like he was forcing the words out. "Let's go."

Clint and Jeff finished wrapping Minho's foot in a cast and left the room, leaving Newt alone with Minho. Minho smiled softly at him, his trademark smirk making no appearance. "You don't have to worry about me," he said gently. "I'm fine."

Newt was shocked at this sudden change in character. Minho never acted like this around him. He was like a totally different person - and Newt liked it. "I'm so happy you're okay," he said.

Minho laughed. "Well...not okay," he lamented. "Alive, though, yes."

Tears filled Newt's eyes. "I can't stand the thought of losing you after I just stormed away from you like that," he choked out, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Well, I probably shouldn't have said what I said, either," Minho admitted, surprising Newt yet again. "I guess if I'd died, we'd both be at fault."

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Newt couldn't help smiling.

Minho's trademark smirk played on his lips. "Like what?"

"Like showing up in the Glade with a broken leg right as the bloody Doors were closing," said Newt. "Like showing me your soft side. Like saying that what you said was wrong - you never would have done either of those things if the rest of those shanks had been in here."

"True," Minho said. "But maybe I have a reason for that." Before Newt could ask what that was, Minho said, "I have one more surprise, if you think you can handle it." He grinned.

"What?"

"I think you should be a Runner."

Shocked, Newt said, "Wh - Are you joking? Me? A Runner? _Why_?"

"I saw you running towards me as the Doors were closing, shuck-face," Minho laughed. "You have strong potential to be a Runner. I'd like you on my team, Newt. You can start training tomorrow, if Nick and Alby agree and if you want to-"

"Of course I want to! If I have to work in those bloody Gardens for one more day, I'll buy a one-way ticket to hell," Newt informed him.

Minho burst out laughing. "You're a shuck-face," he declared.

"And here you're sitting with a bloody sprained ankle calling _me_ the shuck-face," Newt said dramatically, shaking his head. "You're too much."

"Slim it, Newt."

_"Slim it, Newt,"_ the blond mimicked, but Minho just rolled his eyes. They joked around for a while, laughing despite Minho's broken ankle, and Newt suspected that was the time they truly became friends.

* * *

**AN: Will update soon, hope you all liked it! :) **


	5. Chapter 5

A boy Newt didn't know woke him up early the next morning - it was barely light out. "Dude," Newt grumbled. "What the bloody hell? It's the crack of shucking dawn. Leave me alone." He rolled over, his eyes heavy with grogginess.

"Okay," the boy said, and Newt could hear the smile in his voice. "You don't want to train to be a Runner, fine by me."

Newt was up the next instant. "Hey, I'm Newt. And you are?"

The boy laughed. "I'm Alec. Nice to meet you, too."

"Yeah, sorry, I am _not_ a morning person."

"I noticed." Alec grinned. He was about as tall as Newt with blond hair and was just as muscled as Minho. Honestly, he was attractive, but Newt had eyes only for a certain dark-skinned boy. "Follow me and we'll get you your running gear before we leave."

Newt followed Alec inside the Homestead and into a small closet. Alec slipped something over Newt's head that felt like leather and rested weird on his body. Alec strapped it on him. "This leather will protect you," he said. "You can also keep your weapons in it - comes in handy a lot. Keep it on." Newt nodded. "What size shoes you wear?"

Newt took off his shoe and looked. "Seven."

Alec laughed. "You have small feet, slinthead."

"You sound like Minho, slinthead," Newt commented back through a yawn. "I think he's a bad influence on all of us."

This just earned him another laugh. "Shuck-face works hard, but he can be...yeah."

"Yeah," Newt agreed, and they laughed. Newt didn't mention the soft side of Minho he had seen the night before. "I wonder how he's doing."

"Size seven." Alec handed him a shoebox. "And yeah, me too. Looks like he'll be fine, though." Alec gave him a backpack stuffed with food, extra clothes (including a pair of underwear that Alec called Runnie-undies). The Runner also gave him a watch, explaining that only Runners and Keepers were allowed to have one. Nick and Alby also had one.

Newt followed Alec out to the Maze. This would be the first time he would ever set foot in the Maze. Ever. "You ready?" Alec asked him.

"Now or never," Newt reminded him.

Alec grinned. "I like you already, shank. Let's go."

He took off and Newt grinned back before following him. His long blond hair flew behind him and he put it up in a ponytail as he ran. It was nice at first, but soon Newt's muscles were screaming at him for him to stop and he wondered how long it would be before Alec would let them take a break.

Right on cue, the Runner slumped against a wall, panting. "Hey, you okay?" Newt asked him.

"Yeah," Alec said. "Just been a little...extra tired lately. Dunno. Let's take a break."

They took their food out and ate lunch. Lunch consisted of sandwiches and an apple. "Don't want to get fat," Alec said as he took a huge bite of his sandwich.

Newt rolled his eyes. The shank reminded him so much of Minho, it was scary. Probably they spent a lot of time together. "So, you know Minho pretty well?" Newt said as they ate.

"Yeah," Alec said. "How did you know?"

"Well, you guys are Runners together. And you act a lot like him."

Alec chuckled. "True, I guess I do sometimes. He's rubbing off on me." He looked over at Newt. "Hey, can I trust you with a secret?"

"Of course," Newt said.

"I...kind of like Minho," Alec admitted, blushing and avoiding Newt's gaze. "I mean, _like_ like him."

Newt couldn't help being surprised. "Is _everyone_ gay in this place?"

His new friend grinned. "Pretty much. I mean, there aren't any girls, and put fifty horny teens in a confined space like this, well...you're kinda asking for it."

"God, you sound like Minho so much it's scary," Newt laughed, shaking his head. "I can practically _hear_ him saying that. You guys are like twins."

"I'm glad we're not," said Alec. "Wouldn't be good to have a massive crush on a brother."

"You really like him, huh?" Newt said, feeling happy for Alec, and Minho once the idiot realized that a great guy had feelings for him. Alec nodded. "Just to clue you in a little bit, Minho would probably strangle me if he knew I was telling you this, but he has a soft side."

"He does? Knew it." Alec's smirk looked so much like Minho's it startled Newt. "How did you find out?"

"He showed me," Newt informed him. "Last night." Alec's eyes flared with jealousy. "I was worried about him, because we'd fought right before he almost got stuck out here, and I thought he was dead. He told me not to worry, that he was fine, and he was so gentle and incredibly sweet." Newt smiled. "You're a lucky guy."

Alec smiled. "That stupid shank."

"Agreed." Newt grinned at his new friend. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure," Alec said.

"Do you know if Alby's gay?" Newt asked. "I mean, I think he is because I've seen him with Nick, but-"

"Nick?" Alec asked, a confused look on his face.

Newt felt just as confused. He scratched his head and said, "Uh, yeah. I thought he and Nick-"

"Alby doesn't like Nick." Alec looked as lost as Newt felt.

"The bloody hell?" Newt commented, perplexed. "I swore he liked Nick...

"No, I don't think so." Alec shook his head.

Oh. Well, then.

Newt knew he had a bit of talking to do with Alby when he got back. In the meantime, he had training to do. "Hey, how long have we been sitting here?" Newt asked. "We should probably start running again."

Alec looked down at his watch. "Yeah, you're right. We've been so busy talking about who shucking likes who that I guess we got caught up in it." He laughed. "And we claim there aren't any shucking girls here."

It was scary how much Alec and Minho were alike. Newt knew they would make a great couple. He laughed and said, "Race you."

"You're on," Alec said, grinning at him.

* * *

**AN: Hope you liked this chapter and please review and let me know what you thought :) Oh and Alec was one of the names on the wall in the movie **


	6. Chapter 6

Newt felt nervous to talk to Alby when he got back from his training that night. During their next break, he confessed to Alec his feelings for Alby and told him about the shower incident - which, big surprise, Alec already knew about.

They got back from the Maze as the sun set, about twenty minutes before the Doors were supposed to close. Newt followed Alec into the Map Room, sweaty from exhaustion and his clothes damp with sweat. After they finished mapping, Newt said, "I'm gonna go check on Minho and then talk to Alby. See you later."

"See you," Alec said, and they parted at the door to the Map Room.

Minho smiled as Newt entered the same room they'd put Minho in the night before. "Hey, you," Newt said, smiling as he sat down in the chair beside the Keeper's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"All right," Minho replied. "How was your first day of training?"

Newt's smile widened. "Great. Alec's really nice."

"Yep, that shank's cool." Minho grinned. Newt wondered if he should give Minho a hint or something about Alec's feelings for him. If it was Alby, Newt knew he'd appreciate it.

"Hey, Minho?" Newt said.

"Hmm?"

"Alec, um...he has something he wants to tell you, I think," Newt informed him.

"Yeah?" Minho asked, appearing interested. "What's that?"

"I can't tell you," Newt answered. "He should tell you himself, and I promised I wouldn't tell." He hoped Alec wouldn't be angry at him for giving the biggest dork in the Glade a clue. Newt chuckled at the thought.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing. Glad you're feeling better," Newt quickly said, squeezing Minho's shoulder. "I have to go talk to Alby. Need me to get you anything before I leave?"

"Nah, I'm good, man," Minho said. "Thanks, though." He offered Newt a genuine smile. Newt smiled back and left to go find Alby.

He found him talking to the Med-jacks, giving them instructions on taking care of Minho. Alby smiled and his face lit up when he saw Newt approaching them. "Hey," Alby said. "How was your first day of training?"

"We need to talk," Newt told him before he could wimp out.

Newt's suspicion must have showed on his face, because Alby was looking at him strangely. "Of course," he said, leading Newt into the Homestead and into his bedroom. "Everything all right?"

"I...I thought you liked Nick," Newt said.

"I do," Alby said, and the younger boy felt his heart sank. "As friends."

His heart lifted again. "Oh."

"What did you-" Then Alby's eyes widened in realization, and he nodded. "Gotcha."

"Er, yeah." Newt blushed. "Sorry, it just kinda seemed like, from a distance, you two were..."

"We're just friends," Alby reassured him. "Why?"

"Because, um..." God, this whole situation was awkward. Newt shifted uncomfortably. _Tell him. It's now or never._ "Alby, I'm in love with you," he confessed.

Alby smiled. "I'm in love with you, too, Newt." He stepped forward, closer to Newt than they'd been in a long time. Newt's heart fluttered as the dark boy gently took his hands, pulling the blond against him. Alby pulled Newt down for a kiss, their first kiss. Newt gasped against Alby's mouth and his eyes fluttered closed, a whimper escaping past his lips as he wrapped his arms around Alby's waist. "You shuck-face," Alby said between kisses, and Newt moaned softly in response. Alby deepened the kiss and Newt felt his heart about to burst with love as his knees grew weak. Alby's tongue brushed against his lower lip, and Newt knew he was asking for entrance. Newt opened his mouth and Alby licked Newt's tongue with his own. It was a weird feeling at first, but Newt liked it and pressed closer to Alby, their tongues twisting together as moans and whimpers filled Alby's bedroom.

Newt broke the kiss to pull Alby's white T-shirt over his head. "God, you're so bloody hot," he gasped out as he ran his hands down Alby's body. Alby groaned in response. "You're the hottest out of all these shanks." He felt Alby smile against his mouth as they stumbled over to the bed. Alby pushed Newt down on the bed, kissing him hard. Newt whimpered in desperation. He wanted Alby so badly, he felt his heart aching for him. "Alby," Newt said, pulling away from the kiss to meet the older boy's dark gaze. "I want you." He pulled Alby down for a kiss, the two devouring the delicious taste of each other.

And then Alby pulled away, and Newt sat up. "Alby?"

"Newt, we have to stop," Alby said, though Newt was pleased that he looked reluctant to stop. "We should take this slowly."

"Bloody screw slowly."

Alby laughed, pulling Newt into his arms. "I want you, Newt," he said. "But I would like to wait."

"Whatever you want." Newt kissed him, deeply, both of them smiling like idiots when they pulled back. "We can wait as long as you want."

Alby held him in a loving embrace. "So...I'm guessing you aren't in love with Minho?"

"Minho?" Shocked, Newt asked, "What makes you think I'm in love with him?"

"You just seemed so worried about him last night," Alby said. "You were holding his hand-"

"No, Minho and I are just friends," Newt said. "I just...got kind of emotional." He explained what happened, and what Minho had said to him.

"That _shank_!" Alby exclaimed.

"No, no, no, Alby, we're fine now. Everything's fine," Newt was quick to reassure his new boyfriend. "Actually, the part about me being in denial about my love for you was kind of true."

Alby laughed and kissed Newt's hair. "Well, I'm glad you aren't now."

"Me, too." They kissed again and Newt curled up against Alby in bed, out cold from exhaustion after his long day.

* * *

Alec stood hesitantly outside Minho's door, wondering if he should knock. The Med-jacks were keeping him in there until the Creators sent up a pair of crutches so the Keeper of the Runners could walk better. How ironic. Alec figured that his crush would probably go crazy laying in bed and not being able to run.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. "Hey," Alec said, smiling and sitting down in the chair beside the bed. "How ya feeling, shank? Messed up your leg pretty bad, I heard."

"Eh, it'll be fine," Minho said. "Clint and Jeff can't keep me in bed forever and it'll heal."

"Yeah, not forever." Alec grinned. "Just till they get some crutches, which might be a month or so."

"Why do I get the feeling you came up here just to annoy me?"

"Because that feeling's true, shuck-face."

Minho shoved him playfully and Alec laughed. "Just because I have one broken leg doesn't mean I ain't stronger than you," Minho reminded him. _And hotter, too_, Alec thought, sighing internally._ So, so much hotter._ "Hey, um, Newt said you wanted to tell me something?"

Perplexed, Alec replied, "Uh, no I didn't. What'd he say?" Then Alec felt his eyes widen in realization. "That shank!"

"What?"

"He set me up!"

"Set you up for what?" Minho asked curiously.

Alec sighed in defeat. "Minho, I've really enjoyed, um, getting to know you since we've been Runners together." To his shock, Minho flushed. So Newt was right. The tough Keeper of the Runners _did_ have a soft side. "I..." He trailed off.

"Hey," Minho said encouragingly, reaching for Alec's hand. Alec's eyes widened. "Tell me. It's okay."

Alec felt himself smiling. "I've never been good at words," he said before leaning in and kissing Minho. It felt so good and Minho pulled Alec close, tangling a hand in his short blond hair. The kiss deepened and Alec whimpered against Minho's mouth, pulling him close.

"You're shucking good at this, though," Minho said between kisses and Alec groaned in response.

Their kisses became more heated and desperate then and Alec said, "Minho, I want you. I-" Minho interrupted him with a kiss as Alec crawled on top of him on the bed, kissing him hard, their hands roaming the other's body. Minho ground his hips into Alec's, making them both groan in pleasure.

"You sure about this?" Minho asked him.

Alec stared at him with eyes filled with love. "I'm sure," he said.

* * *

**AN: Hope you guys liked it! Updates soon :) Also, I just saw the movie _Into the Woods_ tonight and OMG. You guys HAVE to see it! I totally recommend it! It's my new favorite movie now, so yeah, go see it. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Ostrta: Thanks, I'm so glad you liked it! I know, SO many feels! I totally get it. Here's another chapter for you :) **

* * *

"Hey, Newt?"

Newt turned around in the breakfast line to find Alec behind him, grinning. "Hey," Newt said. "How'd it go with Minho?"

Alec's grin widened. "I gotta thank you so much, dude," he said, hugging Newt. Surprised, Newt hugged him back. "You clued that idiot in and well, last night, we, uh...went a bit farther than kissing." He blushed.

Newt's eyes widened. "You didn't. Shuck, Alec, that's...Wow. Congratulations."

Alby walked up to Newt. "Hey." He leaned down and kissed Newt. "What's going on?"

"Seems as though Minho and Alec are, er, a couple." Newt waggled his eyebrows at Alec, whose blush deepened.

"Oh?" Alby wrapped his arm around Newt's waist and held him close.

"You guys are a couple, too?" Alec exclaimed. "About shucking time."

Newt could practically hear Minho saying that. "Yeah, since last night."

"Did everyone hook up last night?" Gally joined their group - surprisingly, since he usually didn't talk to anyone except his scary post-Changing buddies.

"Pretty much," Alec said, and Newt smirked. "Why?"

"Guess now would be a good time as any to say that Ben is my boyfriend now," Gally said. "Since, well, last night."

"Wow," Newt said. "Three couples in one night." They all laughed.

"I think we have too many couples in here," Gally commented, motioning towards Clint and Jeff, the Med-jacks, who were making out at one of the tables in the corner of the room.

Newt laughed, surprised that Gally was being so friendly to them, but Newt supposed that was what love did. They grabbed their breakfast and Gally and Ben sat down with Newt, Alby, and Alec. They chatted as they ate, and the whole time Newt and Alby held hands under the table. Newt fought the urge to rest his head on Alby's shoulder. He wasn't sure if he and Alby would be _that_ couple - the couple who always did PDA, like Clint and Jeff.

By the time he and Alec were getting ready to leave, Newt could tell he'd thought wrong.

He and Alby stood by a tree near the West Door, kissing as Alec was finishing packing up. "I'm gonna miss you," Alby murmured against the blonde's lips.

Newt practically melted. He leaned in closer to Alby's embrace, not wanting to go out into the dangerous Maze. He felt so safe with Alby. "Keep me safe," Newt whispered.

"I always will." Their lips met again and the kiss quickly heated up. Newt moaned, his fingers finding the first button on Alby's shirt. He unbuttoned Alby's shirt and grabbed his collar, pulling his body against his own.

"Oh, for the love of - Newt, get your butt out here!" Alec called from the Doors, sounding really annoyed. "If I have to go all day without seeing my boyfriend, then so do you."

Newt laughed into the kiss and groaned as Alby pulled away. "Bye, love," Alby said. I'll see you for dinner." The second-in-command gave Newt one last kiss before going to join Alec.

"Seriously?" Alec raised an eyebrow. "You two are gonna be the next Clint and Jeff."

"Whatever, man." Newt shoved him playfully. "You should talk. I could hear you from Alby's room."

"From Alby's room, eh?" Alec grinned and Newt gave him another playful shove. Alec just laughed and they started running.

* * *

Newt's second day of training was long after his night with Alby. They'd been inseparable since last night, making out, holding hands, everything - except what Minho and Alec did. "So...what was it like?" Newt asked Alec during their first break. "I've never really done _that_."

"You've never had sex?" Alec said. Newt shook his head. "Why?"

"Well, I just got here, for bloody starters," Newt said. "I haven't really had the chance to get to know someone well enough that I'd be comfortable having sex with them."

"Do you think you might get to know Alby that well?" Alec's tone was, for once, serious.

"Hopefully," Newt said with a smile. "With a little more time." Newt remembered last night, how he'd wanted Alby, and blushed at the thought.

"Something happen last night?" Alec said, waggling his eyebrows at Newt.

"Shut up." Newt laughed and shoved his friend playfully. "Don't we have to run some more?"

With a grin, Alec stood up and grabbed his backpack. "Then let's do some runnin'."

* * *

By the end of the day, Newt was really starting to envy Clint and Jeff. Since they were both Med-jacks, the blonde was willing to bet that they got to spend a lot more time with each other than Newt and Alby. Newt kept checking his watch as they were heading back. One more hour to go. Forty-five minutes. Half an hour. Fifteen minutes...

And then Newt could see the Doors approaching and he saw Alby standing by them, waiting for him. His heart soared and he ran towards his boyfriend and into his arms. The kiss that followed was passionate and deep.

"I was worried about you," Alby said after they pulled back and he was hugging Newt.

Newt snuggled deeper into his chest. "You were? Why?" Newt looked up at him.

"Well, it's only your second day," Alby reminded him. "And after what happened with Minho-"

"Hey, I'm fine." Newt kissed him.

"Promise?" Alby looked at him doubtfully.

"Of course," Newt said. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

* * *

As soon as they were done in the Map Room, Alec went into the Homestead to see Minho, whose sentence to bed rest had not ended yet. The Med-jacks, Clint and Jeff, were busy making out in the hall. "Can you shucks do that somewhere - anywhere - else?" Alec protested as he walked towards Minho's room. The couple then blushed matching shades of red and Clint pulled Jeff into a room.

Rolling his eyes, he opened the door to Minho's room. Minho was deliciously shirtless, laying on his side staring at the wall, but he looked over at Alec as he came in. "Hi," Alec said. He hadn't seen Minho since last night, and he felt a bit awkward.

Minho smiled. "Hi." Alec tried not to focus on Minho's abs, or the fact that he wanted to trace them with his tongue. "How was running with Newt today?"

"All right," Alec said. "He's a cool guy."

"Yeah." Minho patted the bed beside him, and Alec sat down next to him.

"How's your ankle?"

"Pretty much the same," sighed Minho. He smiled and put a hand over Alec's. "Hey, listen...I loved what we did last night."

Alec blushed furiously at the memory. "I did, too," he agreed. He leaned in to kiss Minho, and as their kisses heated up, he clicked off the light.

* * *

**AN: Sorry I haven't updated in so long! Hope you liked it though :) Review and let me know what you thought **


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